Touring - Touring the Gaspé Penninsula

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.




View Full Version : Touring the Gaspé Penninsula


Bubba
02-10-01, 10:02 AM
My wife and I are considering a tour of the Gaspé Penninsula this summer. Anyone out there toured this area? Any suggestions or advice?

If we go, it won't be until July or August, so this post won't be stale until then.

Thanks,

Bubba

[Edited by Bubba on Feb 20th at 10:20 AM]


johncbennett
04-16-01, 11:00 PM
I spent a month or so cycling the Gaspe, starting in Toronto, and ending up in Truro, Nova Scotia. The Gaspe was beautiful, dotted with small Quebec towns (each centred around the village church), rolling hills, river views, small farms selling their produce on the roadside. Traffic was quite reasonable (this was in August). Don't miss Parc Forillon at the end, and of course Perce rock. I found the south shore of the Gaspe (heading towards New Brunswick) less interesting: Strong headwinds while heading back along the Baie des Chaleurs.

It's a tour I would definitiely do again.

tdwitten
05-09-01, 03:50 PM
I did the Gaspe about 4 years ago, starting on QC and going Clockwise, ending in Maine, US. It was a great tour! I would totally concur with John that the south part is not as nice or interesting as the north and east... I think if I did it again, I might try to circle back (I can't remember the route #'s) .

highlights were:

-- farmland / maple forests east of QC. You'll see there are several parallel routes. Take the ones farthest inland for lowest auto traffic
-- going inland into the Chic Choc mountains for a few days of hiking.
-- Forillon
-- Perce rock
-- ferry across to the north side (cant remember town name, but there's only one) , then back onto south side after a day

there ARE some very steep parts of that road! Sign at Perce says 17%!!


Bubba
05-13-01, 10:42 PM
Hey!

Thanks a bunch for the advice. We'll use it someday... but not this year. Turns out my wife is pregnant, so the tour is on hold for a while.

Keep it coming though... we will get there eventually.

Bubba

johncbennett
05-14-01, 09:37 AM
I agree about the road grade! I remember descending into Perce, my brakes partially engaged, and about halfway down discovering that I was speeding up because my brake shoes had *melted*. I've never experienced that before or since.